Electric thrust reverser system for an aircraft engine nacelle and aircraft engine nacelle equipped with same

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electric thrust reverser system for an aircraft engine nacelle, including a mechanism for actuating a thrust reverser mechanism. The actuating mechanism includes a first drive cylinder and a second drive cylinder. Each cylinder includes a mechanical connection casing, a primary lock ( 8 ) and a movable rod secured to a point connected to the associated thrust reverser mechanism. A motor-actuated drive unit is mechanically connected, via flexible shafts, to the mechanical connection casings of each drive cylinder and set in motion by the command of a control unit via an electrical connection. A tertiary lock is disposed for securing the associated thrust reverser mechanism, to a fixed structure of the nacelle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric thrust reverser system for an aircraft engine nacelle, including at least one actuating mechanism configured to actuate a thrust reverser mechanism, the actuating mechanism including a first drive cylinder and a second drive cylinder, each drive cylinder comprising:
 a mechanical connection casing;   a primary lock; and   a movable rod secured to a point connected to the thrust reverser mechanism, a motor-actuated drive unit being mechanically connected, via flexible shafts, to the mechanical connection casings of each of the first and second drive cylinders and set in motion by a command of a control unit via an electrical connection and a tertiary lock for securing the thrust reverser mechanism to a fixed structure of the aircraft engine nacelle, wherein the primary lock is integrated to at least one of the first or second drive cylinders, and at least one of the first or second drive cylinders is of a lost-motion type.   
     
     
         2 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric thrust reverser system comprises a plurality of thrust reverser mechanisms, which are mechanically connected, and one single tertiary lock is disposed in connection with one of the actuating mechanisms or with an associated thrust reverser mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 1 , wherein the thrust reverser system is configured into lines of defense according to at least three levels:
 at a control unit and commands level, a command from a controller of a motor associated to the thrust reverser mechanism being confirmed by a command from each of at least two computers of an aircraft, an engine, or the aircraft engine nacelle so as to provide a functional redundancy,   at a mechanical level, two primary locks and one tertiary lock being unlocked,   at an electric power supply level, three different electric power supply sources being disposed so that the thrust reverser mechanism operates, and comprising a high-power source, a low-power source and a source dedicated to the tertiary lock, so that, when one single line of defense is not unlocked during the activation of the thrust reverser system, a deployment of the thrust reverser mechanism is blocked.   
     
     
         4 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 3 , including two thrust reverser mechanisms, wherein the control unit of the thrust reverser mechanism includes a processing core which transmits commands to a current processor connected to a power control module connected in parallel to two inverters which deliver, via connections, alternating electric power to the motor-actuated drive unit of each thrust reverser mechanism, the power control module receiving information from position and proximity sensors of different cylinders of the thrust reverser mechanisms so that the commands of the processing core produce current ramps such as to manage the actuation of the thrust reverser mechanisms driven by the motor-actuated drive units. 
     
     
         5 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 4 , wherein the processing core controls a control circuit of brakes associated to the actuating mechanisms of the thrust reverser mechanisms, and programmed based on the current ramps which are applied by the power control module under the control of the digital processing core, and on position and proximity data which are received from the sensors of the actuating mechanisms of the thrust reverser mechanisms. 
     
     
         6 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 3 , wherein a first line of defense includes one tertiary lock associated to a thrust reverser mechanism in the case where two thrust reverser mechanisms are coupled to each other, or two tertiary locks associated to each of the thrust reverser mechanisms in the case where the thrust reverser mechanisms are mechanically independent of each other, a second line of defense includes first and second primary locks associated in a first door drive mechanism, and a third line of defense includes first and second primary locks associated in a second door drive mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 6 , wherein at the electric power supply sources level, the high-power and low-power sources are composed in a combiner an outlet of which is connected in parallel to two motor-actuated drive units. 
     
     
         8 . The electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 7 , wherein the first line of defense also includes at the electric power supply sources level, a tertiary lock power supply connected to the tertiary lock via a controlled switch which receives a command from the commands level of a first computer of the aircraft, the second line of defense also includes a second computer of the aircraft for controlling a controlled switch on the high-power source, and the third line of defense includes the low-power source which is controlled by a control computer of the engine. 
     
     
         9 . A nacelle for an aircraft engine equipped with a thrust reverser comprising the electric thrust reverser system according to  claim 1 .